This invention relates generally to braking systems for in-line skates and more particularly to high heat transfer braking systems capable of simultaneously applying braking forces to multiple skate wheels.
In-line roller skates such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,028,058 to B. J. Olson have become increasingly popular for fitness, recreational, and competitive skating. The in-line roller skates enable skaters to achieve high skating speeds, particularly when skating outdoors on hilly terrain. A number of prior art braking devices have become available in an attempt to provide brakes which develop substantial braking forces that are required for safe operation under such conditions. Examples of various prior art brakes are illustrated in the following patents:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,411,276 applies braking forces to two adjacent wheels on an in-line skate using two different braking rollers with each braking roller contacting a different skate wheel. Each of the braking rollers has a brake pad applied to the surface of the braking roller which also contacts the skate wheel surface. The net result is that the heated surface of the braking roller contacts the skate wheel surface to overheat skate wheel during heavy brake usage and one of the skate wheels being braked can stop turning without the other skate wheel stopping to not only reduce the braking efficiency of the braking of the skate but also cause uneven wearing of the skate wheels.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,511,805 is not a braking device that is user applied, but rather, is used to retard the turning of the skate wheels while the user is learning to skate. Additional conventional braking devices are used to actually stop the skate.
The other prior art braking devices apply the braking forces to a single rotating member. First of all, this limits the amount of braking forces that can be applied to the skate. Secondly, the heat generated by the braking device is typically absorbed in the braking device itself which heats the skate wheel because of the contact between the skate wheel and the braking device. Because relatively large amounts of heat are generated and because the skate wheels are usually made of a resilient elastomer material, these prior art braking devices frequently damaged the skate wheel against which the braking forces were applied. Moreover, the limited he at dissipation achieved with these prior art systems contributed to increased wear of the braking device itself. As a result, the prior art has not been able to adequately brake in-line roller skates.
These and other problems and disadvantages associated with the prior art are overcome by the invention disclosed herein by providing a braking system for in-line roller skates which is capable of applying large magnitude braking forces to the skate wheel assemblies without excessive wear to the brake pad and/or the skate wheel assemblies, which distributes the braking forces equally between at least a pair of the skate wheel assemblies to effectively reduce the per wheel stopping forces required to stop the in-line roller skate, and which isolates the heat generated by braking from the skate wheel assemblies so as to prevent excessive wear and/or damage thereto. The invention also reduces the vibrations transmitted to the wearer through the skates, permits greater control over the application of the braking forces by the user, and automatically varies the contact force between the roller skate wheel assembly and the brake proportional to the magnitude of the braking forces being generated to provide improved safety of operation.
The invention is directed to a braking system for applying braking forces to a pair of adjacent rotating skate wheel assemblies on in-line roller skates, and can be applied to both pneumatic and elastomeric type skate wheel assemblies. The invention also is directed to a braking method which lends itself to the braking of in-line roller skates and to the cooling of the member used to apply the braking forces to the skate wheel assemblies.
The braking system of the invention simultaneously engages a pair of spaced apart skate wheel assemblies on an in-line roller skate and includes an engaging assembly for engaging the rotating skate wheel assemblies, mounting means for mounting the engaging assembly adjacent the rotating skate wheel assemblies, braking means for applying braking forces to the engaging assembly, and actuation means for causing the engaging assembly to engage the periphery of the rotating skate wheel assemblies while the braking means applies braking forces to the engaging assembly to brake the rotation of the skate wheel assemblies. Limit means is provided for preventing the engaging assembly from passing between the skate wheel assemblies.
The engaging assembly defines a peripheral engaging surface therearound having a diameter greater than the minimum distance between the peripheries of the rotating skate wheel assemblies. The engaging surface is adapted to frictionally engage the peripheries of the rotating skate wheel assemblies so that the engaging assembly is rotated by the skate wheel assemblies while engaged. The engaging assembly may include a thermally conductive cylindrical brake drum with an annular transfer section around the brake drum connected to the brake drum through a thermal resistance section for thermally isolating the transfer section from the heat generated in the brake drum by the frictional interface between the brake drum and the braking means.
The mounting means mounts the engaging assembly adjacent the peripheries of the skate wheel assemblies so that the engaging assembly is free to move a limited distance toward and away from both of the rotating skate wheel assemblies for engagement therewith while rotating about its central axis, while having its central axis maintained generally parallel to the rotational axes of the skate wheel assemblies, and while keeping the engaging assembly laterally aligned with the skate wheel assemblies. The mounting means comprises a leaf mounting assembly carried between the skate side frames and rotatably mounting the engaging assembly thereon. The leaf mounting assembly may include at least one and preferably two elongate leaf members flexible in a first direction and substantially inflexible in a second direction normal to the first direction where the leaf members are mounted so that the second direction is oriented substantially parallel to the axes of rotation of the skate wheel assemblies, and where the engaging assembly is rotatably mounted on the leaf members so that the leaf members can flex to allow the engaging assembly to move toward and away from the peripheries of the skate wheel assemblies but the engaging assembly is maintained laterally of the rotating members. A thrust bearing washer may be positioned between the sides of the transfer section around the brake drum and the adjacent sides of the braking means to reduce friction.
The actuation means selectively forces the engaging assembly toward the pair of skate wheel assemblies so that the contact forces between the engaging assembly and the skate wheel assemblies are substantially equalized. The actuating means may be operated by the pivotal cuff on the skate shoe.
The braking means for the engaging assembly may include arcuate brake pad means for frictionally engaging the cylindrical brake pad engaging surface on the engaging assembly. The brake pad means is mounted on the mounting means. The actuation means and the mounting means may be constructed and arranged to selectively cause the brake pad means to frictionally engage the engaging assembly while simultaneously forcing the engaging assembly against the peripheries of the skate wheel assemblies to brake same.
The limit means is mounted between the side frames on the skate to physically limit the movement of the engaging assembly so as to keep the engaging assembly from passing between the adjacent skate wheel assemblies being braked. The limit means may include a limit roller rotatably mounted between the skate side frames so that the engaging assembly can continue to rotate when the limit means is engaged to continue to apply braking forces to the skate wheel assemblies. When used with pneumatic tired skate wheel assemblies, the limit roller may be located so as to cause the engaging assembly to continue to provide braking forces to the underflated skate wheel assembly in the event one of the tires becomes deflated.
The braking method of the invention comprises the steps of rotatably positioning an engaging member between the skate wheel assemblies so that the engaging member is in peripheral contact with both skate wheel assemblies; restraining the engaging member so that the engaging member is maintained in lateral alignment with the rotating skate wheel assemblies while being free to move toward and away from the rotating members; moving the engaging member toward the skate wheel assemblies so that the engaging member exerts approximately equal forces on the skate wheel assemblies; and, applying braking forces to the engaging member to resist the rotation thereof so that approximately equally divided braking forces are applied to the skate wheel assemblies. The braking method may further comprise the step of cooling the engaging member to prevent heat buildup in the engaging member during braking so as to deleteriously affect the skate wheel assemblies.
These and other features and advantages of the invention will become more clearly understood upon consideration of the following detailed description and accompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views and in which: